- Friday, May 03, 2024
The Indian leader was interacting with several students at his annual ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ (Talks over exams) programme, both in person and virtually.
By: Shubham Ghosh
A SIXTH-GRADE student from a school in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Monday (29) participated in prime minister Narendra Modi’s annual ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ (Talks over exams) programme through virtual means where she asked the latter about coping with competition among friends and the stress it brings.
The concerns of Drashti Chauhan from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district were addressed by Modi who emphasized on the importance of having ‘healthy competition’ in life.
He advised Drashti that while competition is inevitable, it should primarily be with oneself rather than with friends. Modi elucidated that when both friends are tackling the same examination, there’s no true competition between them; instead, each should focus on their personal growth. He encouraged Drashti and others to view friends as potential sources of inspiration rather than rivals, promoting a positive and supportive environment.
Here are some glimpses from the #ParikshaPeCharcha programme earlier today. pic.twitter.com/qqqAyRz3cd
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 29, 2024
“If your friend is appearing for a paper of 100 marks, you are also giving the same paper. Where is the question of competition with your friend here? You need to compete with yourself, not with your friend. There is no need to hold a grudge against your friend because he can also become a source of inspiration for you,” Modi, who also shared pictures of the event on his X account, said.
Join Pariksha Pe Charcha! Great to connect with students from across the country. https://t.co/VtScC14nVz
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 29, 2024
The prime minister also suggested that students make friends who are more talented than them, not those who are weaker in studies, as talented persons “lift the spirit” of others around them.
“Find a friend who is brighter than you and try to learn from him. We must not envy our friend’s success. Instead, find their strengths and seek their help to learn a subject which you find difficult. Similarly, you can teach him a subject in which you are good. You both can help each other instead of entering into a competition,” he said.
Bhupendra Patel, the chief minister of Gujarat, watched the telecast of the programme with students at the Nutan Vidya Vihar Higher Secondary School, a private institution in Ghatlodia area of Ahmedabad, where he also interacted with students and wished them luck for the upcoming exams, as per an official release.
Majority of schools in the state, both private or government-run, made arrangements to show their students the live telecast of the programme on their premises, an official said.
During the programme, Modi said it is crucial to instil resilience in children to help them cope with pressures and asserted that parents and teachers should collectively address challenges faced by students.
Interacting with students, parents and teachers during the programme, the prime minister advised parents against treating their child’s report card as their own visiting card and suggested that students should compete with themselves and not others. Organised by the Indian education ministry, ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ has been engaging students, parents and teachers for the past six years.
(With agency inputs)
